Room air conditioner



Jan. 1960 w. T. LADUSAW ROOM AIR CONDITIONER Filed Oct. 27, 1958 wHznnnaas:nnnunaansnzannnuz 4 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM T. LADUSAW BY W HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent ROOM AIRCONDITIONER William T. Ladusaw, Louisville, Ky., assignor to GeneralElectric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 27,1958, Serial No. 769,928

3 Claims. (Cl. 62-281) The present invention relates to an airconditioner of the type adapted to be mounted in the wall of a room oran enclosure and more particularly to an arrangement within such an airconditioner for disposing of condensate water collecting in the unit andfor maintaining a minimum temperature drop across the barrier dividingthe conditioner into separate compartments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a room airconditioning unit having an improved arrangement for disposing of theWater which condenses out of the air flowing through the evaporator ofthe unit.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a condensatedisposal arrangement for an air conditioner in which the condensate isevaporated from a large surface not associated with the condenser.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide acondensate disposal arrangement for an air conditioner which alsofunctions to reduce the heat losses which normally occur through thebarrier that divides the air conditioning unit into two separatecompartments.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the feature of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of the specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention there is providedan air conditioning unit including a casing which is divided into twoseparate compartments by a barrier. One of the compartments is providedwith an evaporator and the other compartment contains a condenser andmeans are provided for circulating separate streams of air through eachof the compartments in thermal exchange with the evaporator and thecondenser. A condensate sump is formed int he bottom of the condensercompartment and means are provided for collecting water condensed out ofthe air flowing over the evaporator and for delivering the water to thecondensate sump. In order to promote the vaporization of the watercollected in the condensate sump into the air stream flowing through thecondenser compartment, a water absorbent material is provided which isattached to the barrier surface facing the condenser compartment andarranged to extend downwardly into the condensate sump. The waterabsorbent material absorbs the water and causes it to flow upwardlyalong the absorbent material so that the water is spread over a largesurface and vaporized upon contact with the air stream being circulatedthrough the condenser compartment. The heat taken up by the vaporizationof the condensate water also maintains the barrier at a temperaturebelow the temperature of the air stream circulating through thecondenser compartment and reduces the heat losses through the barrierfrom the evaporator compartment.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, the single figure of which is an elevation view ofan air conditioner [having the condensate disposal arrangement of thepresent invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown anair conditioning unit ofthe type arranged to be positioned within a wall of an enclosure andused to condition the air Within the enclosure. The unit comprises acasing 2 which is divided by a barrier 3 into an inner or'evaporatorcompartment 4, within which an indoor heat exchanger or evaporator 6 ismounted, and an outer or condenser compartment 7, containing an outdoorheat exchanger or condenser 8. Heat exchangers 6 and 8 are connected inrefrigerant flow relationship with a compressor (not shown). Theopposite sides of the casing most remote from the barrier 3 are providedwith inlet and outlet openings through which air is circulated throughthe respective compartments.

When the conditioner is operating to cool the enclosure, air is drawnfrom within the room and circulated through the inner compartment whereit is passed over the evaporator 6 to cool the air of the room. Moisturefrom the rom air circulated over the evaporator 6 condenses onto thecoil surfaces of the heat exchanger and drains downwardly where itcollects in a suitable drip tray 9 from which it is delivered, by meansof an insulated conduit 11, to a condensate collection sump 12 formed inthe bottom of the outer compartment 7 of the conditioner. Air movingmeans are provided for circulating separate streams of air in thermalexchange with the heat exchangers of each of the compartments. Morespecifically, mounted within the inner compartment 4 behind theevaporator 6, is an evaporator fan 13 which pulls air through the inletopening 14' and thence through the evaporator 6, blowing the airinwardly against the barrier 3 whereupon it flows upwardly to be dischared back to the room through the outlet opening 16. Within the condensercompartment 7 there is provided a condenser fan 17 which pulls airinwardly through the inlet opening 18, blowing it inwardly toward thebarrier 3 whereupon it flows upwardly and is then discharged to theoutdoors through the outlet opening 19. It should be noted that the airstreams flowing through the separate compartments 4 and 7 first flowthrough the evaporator and the condenser before being directed againstthe opposite sides of the barrier 3. Thus, the air stream flowingadjacent the barrier in the evaporator compartment 4 is relatively cold'while the air stream flowing toward the barrier in the condensercompartment 7 is relatively warm. Because of the difference intemperatures between the air streams flowing on opposite sides of thebarrier 3 substantial heat losses can occur through the barrier 3.

As will now be described, the invention deals with a means for disposingof condensate water accumulated in the condensate sump which arrangementalso provides a means for reducing to a the heat losses through thebarrier.

In the condenser compartment 7 there is provided an absorbent materialwhich is attached to the surface of the barrier 3 facing the condensercompartment. This water absorbent'material may be a felt, cotton or anylike material capable of absorbing water and covers substantially theentire surface of the barrier facing the condenser compartment. Thelower end 22 of the material extends downwardly into the condensate sump12, and'is at least partially immersed in the condensate Water, of thesump. During operation of the air conditioner, water in the condensatesump 12 is absorbed by the lower end 22 of the absorbent material and,due to capillary attraction, is caused to flow upwardly on the materialto wet or dampen all or a substantial amount of the absorbent materialon the surface of the barrier. The dampened or wet surface of theabsorbent material 21 is relatively large in comparison to the surfaceof the sump 12 and promotes exceedingly rapid vaporization of the waterthereon. This is due both to the increased evaporating surface area andto the fact that the absorbent material is advantageously positioned toincrease the air to surface contact. In fact, in the preferredembodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the air streamfrom the fan 17 impinges directly upon the absorbent material 21 beforebeing diverted in the upward direction and this greatly enhances thevaporization of the Water.

Not only does the utilization of the absorbent material increase thearea of the vaporization surface but it also provides an insulating andcooling means for the surface of the barrier 3. As the condensate wateris vaporized from the surface of the absorbent material, it cools theabsorbent material which in turn cools the barrier surface below thetemperature of the warm air stream flowing through the condensercompartment. This maintains the condenser side of the barrier 3 coolerthan would ordinarily be the case if the absorbent material 21 were notpresent.

By means of applicants condensate disposal or vaporization arrangement arelatively large vaporization surface is provided which surface is notat all damaged by the dirt and salts which are canied in the condensatewater and deposited on the surface during the vaporization of thiswater. The depositing of these salts and dirt on the absorbent materialin no way impairs the operation of the air conditioner. Moreover, byutilization applicants vaporization arrangement, the heat losses whichnormally occur through the barrier, separating the evaporator side ofthe air conditioner from the condenser side, are greatly reduced.

While in accordance with the patent statutes there has been describedwhat is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the inventionand it is therefore the aim of the appended claims to cover all suchchanges and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrierdividing said casing into an evaporator compartment and a condensercompartment, an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and acondenser in said condenser compartment, means for circulating separatestreams of air through each of said compartments in thermal exchangewith said evaporator and said condenser, a condensate sump in the bottomof said condenser compartment, means for collecting water condensed outof the air flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water tosaid condensate sump, water absorbent material attached to and coveringsubstantially all of the barrier surface facing said condensercompartment, said water absorbent material extending into saidcondensate sump for absorbing condensate water in said sump and causingsaid water to flow upwardly along said absorbent material so that saidwater is evaporated by said air stream being circulated through saidcondenser compartment to dispose of said water and to maintain saidbarrier at a temperature below the temperature of said air streamcirculated through said condenser com partment.

2. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrierdividing said casing into an evaporator i compartment and a condensercompartment, air inlet and outlet openings in each of said compartments,an evaporator in said evaporator compartment and a condenser in saidcondenser compartment, said evaporator being disposed across the inletopening to said evaporator compartment, means for circulating a streamof air through said evaporator for cooling said air stream, said cooledair stream flowing through said evaporator compartment and cooling saidbarrier surface facing said evaporator compartment, means forcirculating a stream of air through said condenser compartment inthermal exchange with said condenser, a condensate sump in the bottom ofsaid condenser compartment, means for collecting Water condensed out ofthe air flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water to saidcondensate sump, water absorbent material attached to said barrier andcovering substantially all of the surface thereof facing said condensercompartment, said water absorbent material extending into saidcondensate sump for absorbing condensate water in said sump and causingsaid water to flow upwardly along said absorbent material so that saidwater is vaporized by said air stream being circulated through saidcondenser compartment to dispose of said water and to cool the surfaceof said barrier facing said condenser compartment to a temperature belowthe temperature of said air being circulated through said condensercompartment.

3. A self-contained air conditioning unit comprising a casing, a barrierdividing said casing into a condenser compartment and an evaporatorcompartment, air inlet openings along the lower portion of said ends ofsaid casing most remote from said barrier and air outlet openings alongthe upper portions of said ends of said casing most remote from saidbarrier, an evaporator positioned across said inlet opening in saidevaporator compartment and a condenser disposed across said inletopening in said condenser compartment, an evaporator fan disposed behindsaid evaporator for circulating an air stream through said evaporatorand directing said air stream against said barrier whereupon said airstream is diverted upwardly through said evaporator compartment to bedischarged out said outlet opening, a condenser fan disposed behind saidcondenser for circulating a stream of air through said condenser anddirecting said air stream toward said barrier whereupon said air streamis diverted upwardly through said condenser compartment to be dischargedthrough said outlet opening, a condensate sump in the bottom of saidcondenser compartment, means for collecting water condensed out of theair stream flowing over said evaporator and delivering said water tosaid condensate sump, water absorbent material attached to said barrierand covering substantially all of the surface thereof facing saidcondenser compartment, said water absorbent material extendingdownwardly into said condensate sump for absorbing condensate water insaid sump and causing said water to flow upwardly along said absorbentmaterial so that said water is evaporated by said air stream beingcirculated through said condenser compartment to dispose of said waterand to maintain said barrier surface facing said condenser compartmentat a temperature below the temperature of said air stream circulatingthrough said condenser compartment.

Kelly May 14, 1935 .lenmngs June 21, 1955

